Carbureter for internal combustion engines



Aug. 21, 1962 P. A. SMITH 3,049,850

CARBURETER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed June 25. 1959 INV E N TOR l mp/ M074 BY w 7 ATTORNEYS United States fiatent G 3,049,850 CARBURETER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Procter A. Smith, Rte. 2, Beaver Dam, Va. Filed June 25, 1959, Ser. No. 822,880 1 Claim. (Cl. 55228) This invention relates to a carbureter for internal combustion engines and more particularly to a device wherein the fuel is completely vaporized prior to being mixed with air.

Heretofore the usual type of carbureter utilizes a spray nozzle wherein the fuel is sprayed into a mixing chamber and the fine droplets of fuel are carried by the air into the intake manifold. This type of arrangement permits raw fuel to enter the cylinder and this raw fuel is not completely burned during the power stroke. This, of course, results in a wasting of fuel and furthermore the raw gas removes the lubricating film from the cylinder walls, thus producing greater wear on the engine parts.

According to the present invention there is provided means for completely vaporizing the gasoline prior to drawing the fuel mixture into the intake manifold. This results in a considerable savings in fuel and also permits the maintenance of a lubricating film on the cylinder walls due to the absence of raw fuel.

According to this invention a vaporizing chamber is provided into which the liquid gasoline is fed. A heating coil is provided in this chamber beneath the surface of the liquid gasoline so as to increase the temperature and thus facilitate vaporization. There is also provided agitation means in the form of an air feed pipe disposed beneath the surface of the liquid gasoline. This air feed pipe may be connected with any suitable pump which will force air through the liquid gasoline thus agitating and enhancing further vaporization. The ducts interconnecting the vaporization chamber with the in take manifold are provided with cut-01f valves which automatically close in the event that the engine backfires. Valve means may also be provided to regulate the fuel air mixture.

An object of the present invention is to provide a carbureter for internal combustion engines in which the fuel is completely vaporized before being fed to the intake manifold.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a carbureter including means for agitating and vaporizing gasoline so that a sufiiciently rich mixture of completely vaporized gasoline is fed to the cylinders of the internal combustion engine.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed specification in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view in elevation of an embodiment of the present invention, and

FIG. 2 is a sectional plan view along the line 22 of FIG. 1.

Referring now more specifically to the drawing wherein like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views there is shown at 1 in FIG. 1 a rectangular shaped container having a top plate 2 and bottom plate 3 secured thereto in any suitable manner. This container may be of any suitable size and shape, but preferably is of such dimensions that it can replace the carbureters presently in use and will fit beneath the engine hood.

An elongated duct 4 extends through the top plate and the bottom plate and this duct has a valve 5 at the upper end thereof and a valve 6- at the lower end. The upper end of the duct is connected with an air filter of any well known variety, and the valve 5 corresponds to the choke on carbureters of known design. The lower end of the duct 4 is connected with the intake manifold of the internal combustion engine and the valve 6 corresponds to a throttle valve and is connected with the accelerator pedal.

The upper end of duct 4 has a pair of intake pipes 7 and 8 which extend through the top plate 2 of the vaporizing chamber and have the lower ends thereof open in the chamber. These intake pipes have valves 9 and 10 therein which are spring urged to the closed position. There is also provided air intake pipes 11 and 12 which extend into the chamber 1 to a point spaced from the bottom thereof.

A fuel feed pipe 13 is connected With the fuel pump and the fuel pump is intermittently controlled by any suitable mechanism (not shown) including a float for maintaining the fuel at a preselected level such as shown at 14 in FIG. 1. There may also be provided an overflow valve (not shown) for preventing the fuel level from rising to any substantial extent above the preselected level. A plurality of circular baflles such as shown at 15, 16 and '17 may be arranged within the vaporizing chamber. These baflles may be provided with openings such as shown at 18 at the lower portions thereof so that the fuel level between the various bafiies will be maintained the same. The baffles serve to prevent any substantial shifting of the liquid level when the vehicle turns a corner at high speed.

There is provided an air agitator in the form of a tubular pipe 19 having a plurality of apertures therein. This pipe is connected by a pipe 20 with an air pump of any suitable variety which serves to force air through the apertures into the liquid fuel.

The heating means for the liquid comprises a pipe 21 which passes around the lower portion of the container and is connected in the water cooling system of the engine. Thus, during operation of the engine warm water will pass through pipe 21 and serve to heat the fuel so as to facilitate vaporization.

A screen 22 surrounds the duct 4 and air intake pipes 11 and 12 as shown in FIG. 1. This screen may be of a highly porous material such as will permit the ready passage of the vaporized gases therethrough, but will form a barrier to the passage of raw gas therethrough.

The operation of the presently disclosed carbureter is as follows. Initially the vaporizing chamber 1 is filled with raw gas to a level 14 and the upper portion of the chamber is filled with the vaporized fumes. On starting the valve 5 is closed and a rich mixture is fed through the duct 4 to the intake manifold. The inner intake pipes 11 and 12 serve to replace the air passing out through the pipes 7 and 3. The suction from the intake manifold causes the valves 9 and It to be opened but these valves will be closed as soon as this suction drops below a predetermined level. As the fuel vaporizes and the liquid level drops the fuel pump replenishes the supply so as to maintain the liquid level constant. Air is fed through pipe 20 so as to agitate the fuel and increase the vaporization thereof. Hot water passing through the pipe 21 further increases vaporization.

Thus it can be seen that the present invention provides means for insuring that only completely vaporized gasoline fumes enter the intake manifold. The device provides heating means and agitating means for facilitating the vaporization of the gas.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

In a device for mixing a fuel charge for supply to the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine com- 3 prising, in' combination, a duct having one end thereof connected to the intake manifold and having the other end open to atmosphere, intake pipes having one end connected to said duct, 2. vaporization chamber, the other ends of said intake pipes-communicating with the upper end of said vaporization chamber, spring actuated valve means in said intake pipes, said'valve means being normally closed but adapted to open in response to reduced pressure in the intake manifold, a porous membrane dividing the vaporization chamber into upper and lower compartments, means for feeding liquid'fuel to the vaporization chamber within the compartment, means for pumping air below the surface of the liquid in the vaporization chamber Within the lower compartment,

means comprising hot water conduits for supplying heat 15 2,026,798

4 to the liquid and a pair of valves disposed in said duct on opposite sides of the connection of said duct with the intake pipes to provide control over the supply of vaporized fuel and the ratio of fuel to air fed to the intake manifold.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNiTED STATES PATENTS Re. 13,498 Bustard Dec. 17, 1912 1,103,789 Macey July 14, 1914 1,182,714 Schmidt May 9, 1916 1,270,486 Brown June 25, 1918 1,938,497 Pogue Dec. 5, 1933 1,997,497 Pogue Apr. 9, 1935 Pogue Jan. 7, 1936 

